Twice Between The Sheets (2 Nights A Week)

Chapter 4: Shadows of Deceit

The moment the energy shifted in the room, Levi could feel it. The temperature seemed to rise, the air between him and Rafael suddenly thicker, more charged. A slight prickle of discomfort crept along his spine as he glanced at the CEO, his piercing gaze heavy on him. Rafael's intensity was impossible to ignore, a tension that practically hummed with silent challenge. Nervously, Levi took a small step back, his usual bravado faltering under the weight of Rafael's simmering presence.

With a quick flicker of movement, Levi reached for his purse, desperate to remove himself from the palpable heat in the air. He needed a distraction, needed to escape the suffocating atmosphere. Without another word to Rafael, he made a beeline for the filming area, where Arabella was preparing for her next scene.

Arriving just in time to catch her and Dante, Levi grinned widely and strode over to them, his hands outstretched in dramatic flourish.

"Dante honey!" he exclaimed, opening his arms to envelop the unsuspecting man in an exaggerated hug. The embrace lasted longer than Dante anticipated, far longer than what was comfortable. Levi seemed to melt into him, his arms wrapping tighter, unwilling to release him. Dante's discomfort was palpable—his thin frame stiffened under the unrelenting pressure. He shifted uneasily, trying to break free, but Levi held him with an almost possessive eagerness.

Finally, Dante gave in, taking a step back with a slight frown. "Uh, alright, that's enough, Levi," he muttered, his tone edged with a trace of unease.

Levi flashed a flirty smile, his lips curling playfully. "My bad," he said, his voice a melodic tease. "Got a little carried away there. Got caught up in the moment, you know?"

Dante, his face blanching with a chill creeping down his spine, gave a quick, wary nod and turned to Arabella, hastily redirecting his focus. Levi, unabashed, let out a little chuckle as he watched Dante go, his smile lingering with a touch of mischief. It wasn't his fault Dante seemed so... easy to rattle. After all, a guy with no muscle and no charisma was bound to be rattled by someone as alive as Levi.

After a while, the shoot wrapped up, and Arabella disappeared into the dressing room, leaving the two men to wait in the studio. As they stood there in an awkward silence, Rafael approached Dante with a predatory smile that sent a shiver through the younger man.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Rafael's voice was smooth, yet there was an edge to it that Dante couldn't quite place. The question hung in the air, sharp, lingering.
Dante's, eyes narrowing slightly, answered with a cold resolve.

"Yes, she is." His voice, though firm, faltered ever so slightly, betraying the discomfort of being in Rafael's presence.

"I see." Rafael leaned in just a bit closer, his eyes never leaving Dante's. "How long?"

Dante shifted uneasily, his posture stiffening as the CEO's scrutiny became too much. "That's none of your business. Please, don't talk to me." His words were as cold as they came, a warning wrapped in bitterness.

Rafael studied him for a moment longer, his lips curling into a thoughtful smirk. The thought that came unbidden to his mind was one he couldn't shake: What the hell did a man like Dante have that a woman like Arabella wanted?

Dante was nothing more than skin and bone, the kind of guy whose every movement seemed to lack strength or presence. His emaciated frame looked as though it belonged in a hospital bed, not holding a woman like Arabella's arm. Meanwhile, Rafael? He had the body of a god—six-pack abs, toned muscles, and all the right places filled out with just the right amount of muscle.

Rafael couldn't help but let his thoughts wander in comparison. Arabella was either blind, tasteless, or just playing some sort of game...

He shook his head, muttering under his breath. No matter. She's mine. She just doesn't know it yet.